


you should never know how easy you are to need

by smallredboy



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Awkward Boners, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, Huddling For Warmth, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Power Outage, Season/Series 06
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:54:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28198740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallredboy/pseuds/smallredboy
Summary: A power outage happens while House and Wilson are living together. House offers a solution for the cold winter night.
Relationships: Greg House/James Wilson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 93
Collections: Froday Flash Fiction Little & Monthly Specials 2020





	you should never know how easy you are to need

**Author's Note:**

> **fffc's 100th special:** accident  
>  **fffc's advent calendar:** winter power outage
> 
> enjoy!

A power outage during winter is one of the worst possible things that can happen in New Jersey.

So, as luck has it, House has to sit through it. In his apartment with Wilson, no less. They had gotten the days off for Christmas—Wilson having gotten off for Hanukkah too, the lucky ass—and now they were trying to spend time together, watching Real Housewives of New Jersey, when the TV suddenly turned off with a loud _bzzt_ noise.

"What the Hell?" House breathes out, looking around as the lights flicker on and off before going off for good. "Oh god fucking dammit."

Wilson groans next to him, in the recliner seat he protested so much against but has grown used to now. "Fucking hell. The heater won't live through it either now won't it?"

"Doubt it," he replies. "It's an electrical one, and unless it has some type of emergency setting..." He huffs and gets up, grabs his cane. There's still light filtering in through the windows, but it's feeble as the outside quickly gets darker. It getting dark at five in the afternoon is the worst part of winter, in House's opinion. He goes to check on the heater and finds no trace of emergency power. "I think we're screwed here."

"Why didn't we buy one with an emergency power source?" Wilson asks.

"Because I guess we thought that Princeton was past power outages," he says. "Guess not. How long do you think this one'll last?"

"Not much, hopefully." A pause. "Otherwise I'll freeze to death."

"Well, we should freeze to death together, at least," House pipes up. He huffs. "We can do the classic huddling for warmth, if you like."

"Do _what_ , now?" 

House relishes on the surprise on Wilson's face. "Oh, come on, your heterosexuality won't be harmed by _not_ getting hypothermia at night with your best friend."

"If anything I thought _your_ heterosexuality would be harmed," Wilson shoots back. "But if you wouldn't mind doing that so we both don't freeze to death, then I'm game, I guess."

"You're a little too eager for it," he teases, tilting his head. "Anything you want to tell me, Jimmy?"

"No," he replies. "There's still hope it'll come back before nighttime, anyway, so it's not like we're talking about how we're _definitely_ going to be cuddling each other all night."

"Sounds like denial to me," House jokes. "I'm going to go and turn the dear old laptop on. Hopefully the battery lasts enough for me to entertain myself with it. See you for our cuddle session in about three hours."

Predictably, the power does not come back in those three hours. It's like the plot of a movie, rehearsed and acted out, a shitty romcom he's starring in as the lead. It'd be a horrid romcom, it bombing at the box office, but still. He uses his laptop for an hour or so, perusing the various offline games he's had downloaded just in case, and uses the light t start reading a book he knows he won't finish. But time passes and night settles in— it's _dark_ out, that winter dark that seems to envelop the world whole, everything pitch black.

He watches the hours tick in and when it gets to ten, the usual hour Wilson goes to bed at, he gets up, grabs his cane and heads over to his bedroom. Their beds are the same size, both of them with space for two people, but he knows that Wilson's is a bit more soft. He's unsure why— it just is. Perhaps it was the thrill of napping on his best friend's bed instead of his own and getting yelled at by him when he came back home.

That sounds a little gay, now that he thinks about it. Oh well. He's never particularly cared about labels, but it's not like he's hot for men or anything. If he was it wouldn't be a big deal, though.

"Wilson," he says, hovering over the doorframe.

He looks at him, looking by all means disappointed. "Hey," he says. "You're going to make good on your idea?"

"Of course I am," he replies. "You think I was bluffing?" 

"Well, are you going to, uh." Wilson looks everything but comfortable, embarrassment making pink bloom over his cheeks. "Undress here, or?"

"I don't sleep naked, you know," he replies. "You'll be fine. You won't wake up to wood in the morning."

House pulls off most of his clothes until he's left in his boxers and a band t-shirt. Wilson does an obvious job of avoiding looking at him for too long, eyes settled on the wall. He swallows and sighs, Adam's apple bobbing uncomfortably. "You done?" he asks, voice soft.

"You know, I'm not really big on labels," he says as he settles on the bed. "I'm straight, I guess, I've never really had a thing for guys. But if I suddenly did I wouldn't mind. And if _you_ suddenly did I wouldn't mind, either. So if you want to look at my dick you can just speak up."

"I'm not gay, House," he replies. He's wearing a sweater despite being in bed, so House guesses he tends to run cold. "But if I ever am I'll let you know. And Nora too, probably."

He laughs at that. "Sure. We should sleep now. It's Christmas tomorrow."

"Well, I don't particularly care about that," Wilson replies. "But I still got you a few gifts."

"Aww."

"Shut up, House," he mutters as he settles into bed.

Another thing House finds out by sleeping in the same bed as Wilson— Wilson is the type of guy who sleeps on his side with his hand tucked under his pillow. House, despite the fact that this is about huddling for warmth, doesn't dare get too close to Wilson, keeping a respectable distance between the two of them. It feels forbidden, like it'll end up badly, like Wilson will hsis at him to get away from him. 

"We're not really getting warmer like this," Wilson mutters. "And I read the forecast. It's going to get down to twenty degrees tonight."

"Yeah, I can tell that much," House says, hands wrapped around himself, clenching his jaw to stop himself from chattering his teeth.

"Why didn't you put a sweater on or something?"

"I can't sleep with too many clothes on," he replies. "I'm usually naked, actually, but that'd be counterintuitive to being warm. And you probably don't want to see my dick, so."

" _Probably_?" he echoes.

He hums. "There's like, a ten percent chance you are actually in the closet and are desperately in love with me."

"The same I could say to you," he drawls.

House feels warmth seep into his cheeks, and he fights off the urge to deny it. "Who knows," he says. "Are we actually going to cuddle it out or no?"

"Well, I thought you'd be the big spoon, since you're taller—"

"It's _two inches_ , Jimmy," he replies. "You can be the big spoon."

"Do you just want to be held?" he teases as he tentatively wraps an arm around him. The contact makes him warm from head to toe and House falls under the realization that he is _very_ touch-starved. He sucks in a breath and leans into it, scooting closer toward Wilson, as he grows more comfortable and presses himself against him.

"It's been _years_ ," he whines out in response. "Just let me have this." He hums. "Mm. That's comfortable. You run a little warm."

"Well, I'm wearing a sweater. You're cold."

"Sure," he says. It feels natural, to be like this with Wilson— being _held_ by Wilson. Some part of him had exaggerated the act, thinking that he'd have a complete freak-out, that it would feel wrong and embarrassing. But it feels like they should've been doing this their entire friendship, cuddling during long cold nights. It doesn't help that he's blushing, a little high on the feeling of being _touched_. He doesn't remember the last time he was touched so intimately by someone he didn't pay to do so. "Are you sleeping any time soon?"

"Yeah," he says, pulling himself closer to him, enough for them to finally be pressed together. It feels like he couldn't push himself closer to House even if he tried. "You?"

"Yep." 

He comes to the startling realization that his leg doesn't hurt at all right before he falls asleep.

* * *

House wakes up to something hard poking at his leg. He blinks hard, trying to get used to the light filtering through the curtains, and hears the hum of the heater. He sighs in relief at the fact that the power is back, although that means no more excuses to cuddle with Wilson. Well, it was good while it lasted, and then he realizes what exactly is poking him in the leg.

He nearly starts laughing out loud. This is ridiculous. Of course, when he wakes up, he'll go through an entire tirade about how erections can be spontaneous and aren't directly related to anything sometimes and that maybe he just had a nice sex dream that didn't involve any guys much less him. The idea is hilarious, and he resists the urge to wake up Wilson to see his reaction. He looks at the alarm clock, still plugged in and now working— _7:35 am_. By this hour Wilson usually wakes up, but he hasn't yet. He's more for sleeping in when he has the day off. Maybe he should get up. Or maybe he should...

He gently kicks at Wilson's leg with his good leg and watches him as he twitches a little. He looks away, to pretend to be still some sort of asleep, as Wilson wakes up.

"Oh God," Wilson says, softly, sounding mortified.

House can't help it. He giggles.

"You motherf—!" He groans. "Did you wake up and notice... this?" He immediately pulls away from him.

"Yes," he says. He turns to face him with a bit of trouble. His leg hurts a little, but it's alright. "Look, I know I said you _probably_ didn't want to see my dick, but this is a bit ridiculous—"

"Oh, piss off!" he exclaims, red blooming over his cheeks. "I didn't get hard over you! It's just... you're a _doctor_ , you know spontaneous erections just happen!"

"You're in your forties, Jimmy," he says. "It's not exactly common for people our age to have spontaneous boners. If you're hot for me, I get it, I can definitely help."

Wilson opens his mouth to talk back before the last sentence reaches his brain, and he blushes. "What? But you said—"

"I don't really care about labels," he replies. "And you did say I probably was secretly gay and into you too. So hey, two birds with one stone."

"I've never—"

"Well, I have," he replies. 

"You've fucked men and you've maintained you're straight?"

"Eh." He shrugs. "It was funnier to say I'm not gay than to explain that I'm kind of bisexual but I'm mostly attracted to women so I don't really care to come out to every person I come in contact with, much less people who are presuming we're in a relationship. It eliminates some of the bite, y'know?"

Wilson huffs. "Well, I've always been silently questioning but tonight really cemented things for me. I mean..." He makes a vague motion toward his crotch. "This is a pretty obvious sign. I don't remember the last time I got hard while sleeping."

"It's a wonderful sign, I think," he says. "I'm glad I offered to do this, then."

"A happy accident," Wilson replies, right before pulling him into a kiss.


End file.
